Most Classic XC HT of all time?

I vote for the Schwinn Homegrown, bass boat blue, made at the Yeti factory in Co. I think it also came in green, dark red.
I suppose other classic HT's would be Specialized Stumpy, of course, Yeti ARC, Ells Sub 22.

Tom or Keith

Originally Posted by mtnbkrdr98

I vote for the Schwinn Homegrown, bass boat blue, made at the Yeti factory in Co. I think it also came in green, dark red.
I suppose other classic HT's would be Specialized Stumpy, of course, Yeti ARC, Ells Sub 22.

steel is real, and the steel hardtail is the classic hardtail. and the ibis mojo is tough to beat.

I don't profess knowing much about classic hardtails other than the eggplant-colored Mojo I owned in the early 90's. Truth be known, the TT was a bit too short for me and the bb felt a bit tall, but I enjoyed it enough so I named my dog "Ibis."

Other than that, I'd say the Stumpjumper is a classic.

I had a Chinese kid pass me on a Bridgestone MB1 (or maybe it was the 0) with racks on a hillclimb TT in downtown San Fran up Nob Hill. He had the slippery trolley tracks figured out, and annihilated me. I believe he was deliverying his next order of lo mein by the time I puked my lung up.

Having owned a bevy of steel hardtails myself over the last few years (and current owner of two steel hardtails), I'd put a vote in for the trusty Gunnar Rockhound. Long TT, short stays, Ritchey drops, very stable, great climber, fantastic trail feel. Five flaming turds.

Impressive, Laffeaux!

Bikes are cool. Here are a few of my favorites - although in general I prefer not having a suspension fork up front, technically making them not hardtails.

Bontragers are a blast to ride. ...

Yeah. Bikes are cool.

Wow! Are those bikes you own, bikes you once owned or bikes you like?

I agree with you about leaning towards the NorCal builders, even though I lived on the East Coast for a few years. To me,"Classic" generally means made in the US, as well. I had an early Ritchey Ascent (his first Chinese bikes), and while it rode well, it never had the cool factor of my wealthier friends' fillet brazed ones.

My wife still has her 1987 Fisher Procaliber. Now THAT'S a classic bike!

In general I agree with you about steel, but Charlie Cunningham's bikes might be an exception. I also put the Fisher Prometheus (Ti) up there on the classics list. I never liked the way my friend's Merlin handled, but I loved my Fisher! May resurrect it as a SS this winter.